Vase Life, What to expect from your flowers

So if you are one of the lucky one's who was given flowers by your Valentine, you are probably wishing they would last forever. Unfortunately they don't and chances are right about now you are contemplating throwing them away. Well, if you are anything like me you will wait for the very last sign of life to leave before taking them out to the compost bin.

On average, cut flowers should last about 4-7 days in your home. With the proper care(see tips here) you can extend the life of your cut flowers. If your arrangement happens to have more than one type of flower you may notice that some last longer than others. Although there is no guarantee just how long a flower will last, below is a list of some of the more popular flowers and their average life span.

        Flower                                                Vase Life in Days
    Alstromeria (Peruvian Lily)                                     6-14
    Baby's Breath (Gypsophillia)                                    5-10+
    Calla Lily                                                               4-8
    Carnation /Mini Carnation                                       6-14+
    Chrysanthemum                                                    7-14+
    Cymbidium (Orchid)                                               7-28
    Daffodil                                                                 4-6
    Dahlia                                                                   4-10
    Delphinium                                                            4-12
    Dendrobium                                                          10-16+
    Freesia                                                                 4-12
    Gardenia                                                               1-3
    Gerbera                                                                4-14
    Gladiolus                                                               6-10
    Hyacinth                                                                3-7
    Hydrangea                                                             5-10
    Hypericum                                                             10-21
    Iris                                                                        2-6
    Larkspur                                                                4-12
    Lily                                                                        4-11  
    Lisianthus                                                               6-10
    Peony                                                                     5-10
    Phalaenopsis (Orchid)                                              20-30
    Queen Anne's Lace                                                  3-5
    Ranunculus                                                             3-7
    Rose                                                                      4-12
    Snapdragon                                                            5-8
    Statice                                                                    4-8+
    Stock                                                                      5-8
    Sunflower                                                               5-12+
    Sweet Pea                                                               3-7
    Tulip                                                                       3-7
    Waxflower                                                               5-9


A few other things that will affect the vase life of your flowers are: growing conditions, the amount of time the flower spent in transit, and post harvest care received in the distribution chain. One other note, arrangements made in floral foam generally do not last as long as flowers in a vase of water. The best advise I have for your flowers, sit back and enjoy them! Then will not last forever!

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